The U.S. EPA announces revised guidelines for eligible recipients awarded Federal grants under section 319 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) for the implementation of nonpoint source management programs (“2024 Guidelines”). The 2024 guidelines describe the requirements that apply to recipients of grants made with funds appropriated by Congress under the Clean Water Act. These new guidelines will replace the Nonpoint Source Program and Grants Guidelines for States and Territories that have been in effect since the fiscal year 2014 grant cycle. A copy of the guidelines can be found on the Clean Water Act section 319 Grant Guidance website, here.

EPA launched the New Chemicals Division Reference Library, an index of EPA documents related to the work of the New Chemicals Division. This resource includes guidance documents, compliance advisories, templates, manuals, and other materials useful to a variety of stakeholders.

EPA is taking final action to amend the “Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries” to reference a standard practice recently made available by ASTM International. Specifically, EPA is amending the All Appropriate Inquiries Rule to reference ASTM International’s E2247-23 “Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process for Forestland or Rural Property” and allow for its use to satisfy the requirements for conducting all appropriate inquiries under CERCLA.

This rule is effective on August 23, 2024.

The EPA is proposing to address the unreasonable risk of injury to human health presented by n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) under its conditions of use as documented in EPA’s risk evaluation and risk determination for NMP pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). NMP is a widely used solvent in a variety of industrial, commercial, and consumer applications including the manufacture and production of electronics such as semiconductors, polymers, petrochemical products, paints and coatings, and paint and coating removers. EPA determined that NMP presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health due to the significant adverse health effects associated with exposure to NMP. To address the identified unreasonable risk, EPA is proposing to: prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce and use of NMP in several occupational conditions of use; require worker protections through an NMP workplace chemical protection program (WCPP) or prescriptive controls (including concentration limits) for most of the occupational conditions of use; require concentration limits on a consumer product; regulate certain consumer products to prevent commercial use; and establish recordkeeping, labeling, and downstream notification requirements.

Comments must be received on or before July 29, 2024.